PRESS RELEASE
David F. Cross, Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney of Brooke County, West Virginia, advises the press that:
Kristy Jo Jones, who was born on the 3rd day of October, 1977, with an address of 39 15th Street, Wellsburg, West Virginia, pled guilty to the felony offense of “Driving a Vehicle in this State While in an Impaired State and Such Impaired State Proximately Causing the Death of Any Person” as set forth in Count One of the Indictment in Case 19-F-42. Kristy Jo Jones also pled guilty to the felony offense of “Driving a Vehicle in this State While in an Impaired State and Such Impaired State Proximately Causing a Bodily Injury to Another Person” as set forth in Count Three of the Indictment in Case 19-F-42.
The Court following Kristy Jo Jones’ convictions ordered a pre-sentence investigation and scheduled a sentencing hearing in regard to the matter for April 23rd, 2020, at 11:00 a.m.
Count One of the Indictment carries a penalty of imprisonment in a state correctional facility for not less than three (3) nor more than fifteen (15) years and a mandatory fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) nor more than three thousand dollars ($3,000.00).
Count Three of the Indictment carries a penalty of imprisonment in a state correctional facility for not less than two (2) nor more than ten (10) years and a mandatory fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) nor more than three thousand dollars ($3,000.00).
The charges against Mrs. Jones stemmed from an incident that occurred on the 15th day of January, 2019, on West Virginia Route 2. On January 15th, 2019, Kristy Jo Jones was operating a 2014 Ford Explorer traveling North on West Virginia Route 2. At or about the same time a 1998 Ford Ranger was being operated by Hubert J. Logue and contained a passenger, Lashyia Kreischer. Kristy Jo Jones went left of center and began operating her vehicle in the wrong lane of traffic and Hubert Logue attempted to avoid the vehicle being driven in his lane of traffic but it was impossible for him to avoid being struck and as a result a head on collision occurred in the southbound lane of West Virginia Route 2 resulting in the death of Hubert Logue and physical injuries to Lashyia Kreischer.
The matter was investigated by multiple law enforcement agencies including the Brooke County Sheriff’s Department, the West Virginia State Police and the Ohio County Sheriff’s Department who provided the assistance of an accident reconstruction expert. The lead investigator was Kristen Richmond of the Brooke County Sheriff’s Department who found alcohol consisting of Smirnoff ice smash in the vehicle. The law enforcement agencies obtained search warrants for the blood records of the Defendant from her hospitalization and also submitted blood samples to the West Virginia State Police to determine whether the Defendant was under the influence of drug or alcohol. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory tested the blood provided to them and conducted a toxicology drug analysis. The report from the West Virginia State Police Laboratory and the medical records identified Alprazolam, amphetamines, Zolpidem, and Cannabinoids resulting in Kristy Jo Jones’ impairment by drugs and alcohol.
The case was prosecuted by David F. Cross, Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney. Mrs. Jones was represented by Attorney Kevin Pearl. The case was presided over by the Honorable Judge Ronald E. Wilson.